Top 10: Rock ‘N’ Roll Hedonists

Number 2

Ozzy Osbourne

Rock’s most authentic madman, Ozzy Osbourne’s ludicrous onstage exploits are no act — the man has truly taken a ride on the “Crazy Train.” After a decade of fronting Black Sabbath, Ozzy was cut loose from the group in 1979 due to his excessive drug use. Ozzy embarked on a successful solo career, during which his substance abuse increased and his behavior grew more disturbing, culminating in a drunken 1989 incident where he choked and threatened to kill his wife. Years later, even the domesticated setting of The Osbournes couldn’t mask the madness in Ozzy’s soul.

Pure excess: During a tour in 1981, Ozzy started the practice of pelting his audience nightly with 25 pounds of pig intestines and calves' livers. Ozzy’s fans began to return the favor; one night in Iowa, a fan tossed a real bat on stage. Stunned by the lights, the bat lay motionless and Ozzy, believing it was a rubber prop, bit into its neck. In a very un-rock ’n’ roll move, he was immediately rushed to the hospital and tested for rabies.

Number 1

Keith Richards

Rock's most celebrated outlaw junkie, the legendary Rolling Stones rhythm guitarist is the prototype for every unapologetically self-destructive rock star. While fellow Stone Mick Jagger indulged in busloads of women at a time, Richards drowned himself in heavy drugs. Richards used plenty of drugs in the ’60s, but it wasn't until the Stones reached their creative peak in the early ‘70s that he fell into a consuming heroin addiction. Keith proudly continued to trumpet his drug use into the 21st century, but has now sworn them off due to the fact that they’re too weak because dealers and chemists have reduced their potency.

Pure excess: Richards was arrested for heroin and cocaine possession (two ounces of each) in a Toronto hotel in 1977. He was then charged with importing narcotics, an offense that carries a minimum sentence of seven years of imprisonment. He was able to work out a plea bargain that included a benefit show for the blind. This deal was inspired by the pleas of a young, blind woman who was safely escorted home by Richards after a Stones concert.

born to be wild

These extraordinary hedonists were — and are — so excessive and creative in their destructive indulgences that they’ve raised the bar on what it takes to be a decadent rock star. But they also offer proof that such behavior can’t possibly be sustained for a lengthy period of time without paying the price — unless your name is Keith Richards.